Child Bride
by Sorentense
Summary: Itachi's gaze shifted to the child bride he was carrying over his shoulder. He supposed he ought to dispose of her. She was weak, and, with her small reserves, would likely remain so. She could be a liability. And yet, having technically married her, he was responsible for the girl. Besides… she had resisted his Sharingan. That should not be possible. ItaSaku
1. Chapter 1

This had to be a dream.

Sakura wriggled in her wedding gown and pinched herself again to make sure she was really awake. _Stop doing that! Of course this is real! If you mark yourself up on our wedding day, I'm going to kill you!_ screamed Inner Sakura.

Something crashed against the window and Sakura gave a superior pout. Of course, it was more jealous fangirls vandalizing her house. Well, they would have to get over it. Hokage-sama had chosen _her _to help Sasuke rebuild the Uchiha clan, and after today there would be nothing anyone could do about it.

Her parents, of course, had been opposed to the idea. Having their daughter marry at thirteen to a surly orphan who needed heirs immediately was hardly in their plans. However, they had eventually caved in to the pressure from their village. The Uchihas were _needed_, and with Sound and Cloud both preparing to move against Konoha, the Hokage-sama had to ensure that the bloodline would be preserved.

Choosing a new matriarch for the Uchiha clan had been quite a production. All the girls around Sasuke-kun's age had been screened extensively. With her low chakra reserves, Sakura had been sure she would never be chosen. However, her perfect chakra control, intelligence, and talent for genjutsu had won her the most coveted prize in the village: Sasuke-kun!

The moments leading up to the wedding went by in a happy blur. All Sakura, inner and otherwise, could think of was the kiss. _He's going to kiss me. He's really going to kiss me!_

They _finally_ came around to the wedding vows. Sasuke mumbled his with his usual entrancing broodiness, while she declared hers proudly. She may have given Ino a smug look. Well, she was still only thirteen, what could be expected?

Sakura tried not to squirm with excitement as her groom leaned in close. _It's really happening!_ The kiss he gave her was soft, gentle – and tingled with genjutsu!

"Sasuke-kun?" she squeaked uncertainly. "What's going on?"

The genjutsu suddenly released and she found herself staring up at a tall young man with long black hair and Sharingan eyes. Gasps, murmurs, and even shrieks circulated around the audience. "It's Itachi!" And she felt another genjutsu fall, but Inner Sakura did _something_ and she found herself facing this Itachi in the midst of a hypnotized crowd.

Sakura just stared, a part of her brain working on the mechanism by which she was the only one capable of responding to the intruder just now, while the rest tackled who that intruder _was_. _Itachi._ The rogue ninja who had murdered Sasuke-kun's entire family. Sasuke-kun's brother. Sasuke-kun's _insane_ brother. "What did you do to Sasuke-kun?" she demanded.

One dark eyebrow rose. "A bold question, little girl. Shouldn't you be more concerned about what I'll have to do to you, since you have some resistance to the Sharingan?"

Sakura defiantly drew a kunai. "Tell me where he is!" she screamed, in that peculiarly high pitched voice that always made her teammates wince. She liked to pretend it was fear that made them cringe, but knew in her heart that it was more like annoyance.

_Not the time!_ Inner Sakura interrupted. _In case you haven't noticed, we're staring at an S-class missing nin!_

Said S-class missing nin proceeded to do the last thing Sakura expected. He _laughed._ Well, to be more accurate, he chuckled softly, but she got the feeling that was his version of a full laugh. "You've got an overdeveloped attachment to my little brother, don't you? I see I will have to make a change of plans."

"What are you planning?" she asked, still threatening him with the kunai.

In one fluid motion, Itachi twisted the kunai free of her hand, pinned her arms behind her back, and pressed the kunai against her throat. "I would not advise threatening me," he said calmly, as if she were a child about to eat dirt. "Although I admit, your nerve gives you… potential."

Sakura tried to twist around to glare at him. "Where. Is. Sasuke-kun?"

"Sleeping, safely and peacefully, back at the Uchiha compound."

"Why should I believe you?" she spat.

"If you're not going to believe me, why ask a question?" he countered. "Come along now."

"_What?"_ Sakura and her inner both screamed. _Creepy rapist missing-nin alert!_

Itachi snorted almost inaudibly. "If I leave you here, they will simply attempt this again. I need to make slightly more of a statement than this. Making off with the bride should deliver my message."

"W-what message?" Damn her voice for shaking!

Itachi's voice grew frigid. "They cannot use _my little brother_ as a stud animal."

o-o-o-o

As it turned out, Itachi had to knock the little girl unconscious before he could walk away with her. After releasing the genjutsu he had cast on the village, he had set fire to the trappings of festivity so as to leave no doubt regarding his opinion of them. _Foolish._

Itachi's gaze shifted to the child bride he was carrying over his shoulder. He supposed he ought to dispose of her. She was weak, and, with her small reserves, would likely remain so. She could be a liability. And yet, having technically married her, he was responsible for the girl. Besides… she had resisted his Sharingan. That should not be possible. He must research this extensively.

**AN: One of these days, I will write a story where two people get married on purpose.**


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura was awakened by the sound of cacophonous laughter. Opening her eyes, she found that she was lying under the covers of a neat, plain bed in a neat, plain room of stone walls and a heavy iron door. Two men in black cloaks with red clouds were also in the room, one standing with his arms folded and the other leaning against the wall, about to die of laughter.

The one with the crossed arms, whom she recognized after a moment as Uchiha Itachi, watched his blue companion with blank disdain. "Kisame. It is not that funny."

"You got _married_!" the blue, shark-like man howled. "To a little girl with pink hair! Hell, _yeah_, it's that funny!"

Itachi shrugged, apparently resigning himself to Kisame's amusement. "I know you are awake, child. I have procured ordinary clothes for you that you may find more comfortable than your wedding dress. We will leave the room so you can change. I would not advise trying to escape; the idea of hunting you down bores me." With that, he collared the blue man and dragged him from the room, still laughing uproariously.

Sakura stared suspiciously around her. When she sensed their chakra moving away, she decided that the wedding dress was indeed uncomfortable. Serviceable black garments were laid neatly on a desk chair. She changed into them and found them to be a perfect fit.

_He'd better not have been touching us!_ Inner Sakura declared furiously.

"He's a shinobi," Sakura reasoned with herself, blushing. "He's observant enough to gauge someone's size without touching them!"

_Keep telling yourself that,_ Inner snorted. _Now let's investigate this room and see if there's a way out!_

The window bars proved to be too close to slip through, and she could not find anything in the room with a chance of penetrating them. She did, however, find enough carefully folded men's clothing and neatly arranged supplies to convince her that this was _Itachi's room._

_Gross,_ Inner said emphatically. _We were sleeping in Itachi's bed!_

A polite knock on the door interrupted them before she had time to feel properly horrified. Itachi entered, this time without his shark-like friend, who could still be heard laughing down the hall. "Fold up the gown for now. You can clean it when you do the laundry next."

Sakura glared at him. "The _laundry_? What the hell makes you think I'm going to wash your clothes?!"

Itachi raised one eyebrow. "The fact that I have spared your life? I could have killed you quite easily, or abandoned you to the tender mercies of this world, but I did not. I have provided you with a safe shelter and will see that you are properly fed, clothed, and trained. Therefore, you will make yourself useful in any way possible."

Sakura gulped. "A-any way possible?" She had heard stories of what happened to young kunoichi who were captured and held by enemy shinobi.

He frowned slightly. "Not that way. I have no desire to force myself upon a woman – especially a little girl. You need not fear _that_. Now come here."

"What for?" she challenged.

"I am going to examine you." He politely held out a chair for her. "You are resistant to the Sharingan, and I intend to figure out why."

"I'd rather stand," she snapped, determined to defy him in any way possible.

Itachi shrugged. "Very well. Look at my eyes, please."

Sakura instantly slammed her eyes shut. She heard a sigh, followed by footsteps, then a large hand pried one of her eyes open, forcing her to stare into swirling red.

This time, Inner Sakura did nothing – probably as eager to obey as outer Sakura – and Sakura found herself in a world of black and red.

"Interesting," declared a baritone behind her.

Sakura tried to turn, but her arms were tied to a cross. Her heart raced. _What is this place?_

"The process does not appear to be automatic. That explains why you fell for my initial genjutsu." Itachi moved to stand in front of her, hands folded calmly. "Now, perhaps I should explain. This world is created by my Tsukuyomi. I control time in here. You will now experience seventy-two hours of suffering, while one second passes in external reality. I had hoped not to have to do this. Perhaps next time you will cooperate and show me your mechanism of resistance."

And then the stabbings began.

o-o-o-o

Itachi watched impassively as the little kunoichi returned to reality, obviously shaken. She stared at him in horror for a moment, then broke down sobbing. "You're a monster!" she accused between gasps. "An evil, vile, clan-murdering, cheating _monster_!"

He considered for a moment. "Yes," he finally agreed. "I suppose I am." A child like this, raised with the innocence he had been denied, could not grasp his reasons for what he had done. Perhaps they did not matter in the end. He had certainly committed sins enough to earn the title of 'monster,' even before his break from Konoha.

"You're _horrible,_" she insisted, still crying. "No wonder Sasuke-kun wants to kill you!"

"Indeed."

"You don't even _care_ what you are, do you?"

"I am what necessity made me," Itachi replied coolly. "One day, perhaps, you will understand."

"I will never understand _you_!" the girl shouted, green eyes blazing up at him.

"That may very well be," Itachi admitted. _Maybe Konoha really has changed that much… Good._ He turned toward the door. "We will continue the experiment when you are calmer. Although emotional distress is a variable I wish to explore in this phenomenon, it would be more informative to begin with a clear mental state. I will bring some food in shortly. Be aware that any mess you make, you _will _be cleaning up."

As he exited, it occurred to him that he really should learn his child bride's name.

o-o-o-o

Sakura did indeed make a mess. She relished throwing his perfectly organized possessions all over the room. It was a childish vengeance, but it helped her calm down. Well, outer Sakura calmed down, at least. Inner was still raging when Itachi came back.

He took in the messy room with a glance and carefully stepped around his scattered items to set a series of takeout containers on the desk. "You will clean this up after we eat, child."

"How are you going to make me?" she challenged. "Your precious Sharingan doesn't work on me, remember?" Before she had time to react, she was pinned helplessly to the wall with a kunai resting against her throat.

"Foolish child," Itachi commented in a deceptively soft voice. "The Sharingan is far from being my only weapon. You will do as I say, or there will be consequences. Am I clear?"

Sakura glared.

"I said, am I clear?"

She gave in with a sigh. "Yes."

"Good. You are learning." He released her and gestured toward the food. "Join me."

Sakura sat cross-legged on the bed while her captor calmly settled into the desk chair. He allowed her to select her own meal, but to her surprise moved the box of dango out of her reach. _Why would he even _have_ dango?_

"That is for good behavior only," Itachi declared. "You may have some after you clean up this mess."

Sakura stared. "You're… offering me sweets if I behave?" Her parents hadn't done that since she was _five._

"It is another experiment." He pointed to one of the books she had tossed on the floor. "That book claims that positive reinforcement is a more effective training regimen than punishment in rats. I am curious as to the effect in human children."

"I'm not a _child_," she spat furiously. "I'm a _kunoichi_!"

The eyebrows lifted again. "A kunoichi lowers herself to destroying my room as an outlet for her temper?"

"I am a ninja," she insisted, touching her short hair.

Itachi smiled slightly. "Well, then, we shall see how positive reinforcement works on a _ninja._" She got the distinct impression that he was still making fun of her.

**AN: I am currently in the market for a beta reader for this story. If you are interested, please let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

Cleaning Itachi's room to his satisfaction proved to be quite a challenge. The madman was a perfectionist on top of everything else. And, adding insult to injury, he ate most of the dango while watching her clean up!

"What kind of mass murdered likes _dango_ anyway?" Sakura asked petulantly.

Itachi did not dignify that with a response.

Much as it nettled her to be cooperative, Sakura had to admit to herself that Uchiha Itachi was not quite what she had expected. When he wasn't threatening her, he was well-mannered and even pleasant. _He has to be plotting something. What could he possibly gain from behaving politely? What do I have that he can't take by force?_

While she folded clothes and grudgingly alphabetized books, Sakura continued working on this conundrum. If he was hoping to use her as a pawn against his brother, he was out of luck. Not only was she unwilling to betray Sasuke to his evil sibling, but she knew deep down that he was unlikely to care one way or another what became of her. Their marriage had been arranged and Sasuke had accepted it simply as his duty to the village.

_We could have won him over eventually,_ Inner Sakura insisted. _What's not to love about us?_

Sakura didn't even bother to reply to her Inner as she continued working on the problem at hand. Kakashi-sensei didn't care much, but he might conceivably decide it was his duty to rescue her. Was Itachi one of the many people who seemed to want revenge on him?

Honestly, though, the only person likely to come after her was Naruto, and she had no idea what anyone could want with _him_. Her obnoxious teammate was a subpar ninja, despite his huge chakra reserves. Itachi didn't seem like the kind of person to take offense at Naruto's ordinary exuberance, so what could he want with him?

Of course, there was the explanation Itachi had given her himself for her presence: to inform the village in no uncertain terms that they could not use his little brother like an animal. But that would imply he _cared_ about Sasuke, which was completely impossible. How could anyone kill a child's family in front of him and still love him?

Most likely, this was part of his experiment to study her genjutsu resistance. He had said he wanted to assess her without emotional distress first. No doubt he would begin acting like a proper missing-nin soon enough. She stacked the last of his shirts and closed the closet with a bang. "There!" she mumbled. Now maybe he would stop _watching_ her!

Itachi grunted, exactly the same noise his brother tended to make. "I suppose it is satisfactory." He lifted the last stick of dango from the box and held it out to her. When she reached for it, however, he suddenly pulled it back. "Your name?"

"You kidnapped me and you don't even know my name?" she asked, offended.

He regarded her flatly. "You were not my objective. Sasuke was. Now, your name?"

Well, she might as well tell him before he beat the information out of her. "It's Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

"Very well, Sakura-san." He handed her the dango, rose, and lightly touched the top of her head as he walked out the door. "You may read my books or sleep, as you choose. We will continue our research later."

o-o-o-o

As he had expected, Leader-sama accosted him as soon as he was in the main living area. "Itachi."

The Konoha missing-nin inclined his head respectfully. "Leader-sama."

"Kisame tells me that you have acquired a... wife."

"That is correct." Itachi folded his hands. "She is a young Leaf kunoichi, the teammate of the kyuubi vessel. She could be a useful bargaining chip."

"That is convenient," Leader-sama allowed. "But it still does not explain why you, of all people, formed a personal attachment. I thought you understood they were to be avoided."

Fine words from a man so thoroughly possessive of his own lover. "She was supposed to marry my brother. I took the opportunity to make a statement to my former village."

"I see." The powerful man held Itachi's gaze firmly. "I hope you understand that you are to keep her under control while she is here, and that she is not to interfere with your missions."

"Naturally," Itachi agreed.

o-o-o-o

Itachi was not particularly eager to go back to his own room, as it was infested with his little wife, but he found it was the only place where Kisame would not follow him. The antisocial man actually found himself looking forward to the return of the other members. At least Kisame would have someone else to talk to about Itachi's Lolita complex.

Fortunately, by the time he returned, the girl – _Sakura_ – was asleep. She had apparently fallen asleep in the middle of reading, because her face was buried in his medical encyclopedia. He privately wondered if she had noticed the pages he had marked for his own reference and what conclusions she had drawn. Perhaps she would confront him about it and satisfy his curiosity without effort on his part.

At any rate, she was on the floor, shivering in her sleep. Itachi sighed. It really wasn't his problem, but she would get sick from the cold. She was used to Fire Country, after all. The climate around the Akatsuki base was chilly and damp.

He considered as he removed his hitai-ate and laid it neatly on his desk. The girl was already a bit of a nuisance, though he was sure he could train her to be useful. Through either fear or reward, it hardly mattered. But if she became ill, she would likely be even more of a nuisance. Itachi knew some basic medical ninjutsu, but they were mostly for healing injuries. Illness was far more complicated.

Of course, the opportunity to practice could be valuable, especially since her lungs would be one of the most likely organs to become infected. Perhaps he would learn something that could help him with his own illness.

Itachi sighed again and shrugged off his cloak. No, that would not do. He had missions to accomplish, hunting the kyuubi vessel being among the most important. He had no time to study medical ninjutsu on the little girl, however interesting it might be. And if he let her become ill, he might lose the opportunity to gain valuable information about the nature of genjutsu.

Since he could not allow her to spend the night on the floor, nor could he himself be exposed to the cold longer than necessary, Itachi was forced to share his bed. _For your sake, Sakura-san, you had best be a quiet sleeper._ He scooped the girl up easily, laid her on the bed, and settled down beside her. He pulled the covers up and prepared to spend several hours lying awake, trying to accustom himself to the presence beside him.

Of course, then the girl had to go and make things worse. She very naturally sought warmth in her sleep, which unfortunately meant _him_. Not only did she nestle against his side, but she dared to wrap her arms around him, _hugging_ him.

Itachi stiffened, but was more curious than annoyed. Sasuke had been four the last time he crawled into bed with his aniki. He had forgotten what a sleeping child felt like – warm, limp, and trusting. It was not wholly unpleasant. After a moment's hesitation, he found it most comfortable to drape his own arms around the little girl – not so little after all, now that he felt her chest pressing against his side. _Interesting._

Sakura made a little noise of contentment and rubbed her head against his shoulder like a kitten. Itachi smiled ever so faintly. Perhaps, he meditated, after all he had done to protect it, Konoha owed him one of its innocent children.

After all, it was due to his actions that she had grown up with that luxury.

o-o-o-o

The first thing Kisame heard the next morning was a shriek. "_Pervert!_" The high-pitched noise penetrated stone walls and reverberated throughout the base.

The Mist shinobi stretched his arms and cackled. Itachi was in trouble! Now, what could the stoic man have possibly done to earn himself that title? Itachi was many things – even he was scared of him at times, though he didn't let it show – but 'pervert' was not generally one of them. Actually, come to think of it, Kisame had never seen him seek a woman's company. _Probably too much talking for him._

Well, at any rate, Kisame _couldn't_ let this go by without finding out what had happened. The girl was still screaming, so he put on his cloak and followed the noise to Itachi's room. He knocked on the door and was answered with a heavy sigh and a barely audible, "Yes?"

"What's going on in there? It's five in the morning, Itachi. Can't you torture your new pet at a more human hour?"

The girl shrieked indignantly. "I am _not _a pet! And this – this _pervert_ put me in his bed and _slept with me!_"

If Itachi even grunted in response, Kisame didn't hear it. He was too busy howling with laughter. "You sick bastard! You really _do_ have a thing for little girls, don't you?"

o-o-o-o

Itachi decided that raising his voice was not worth the trouble and therefore waited the full half hour it took for Sakura to stop screaming at him. "Would you have preferred to make yourself sick sleeping on the floor?"

"Yes!" she shrieked back. "_Anything_ would be better than sleeping with a _criminal_! I can't believe you were _holding_ me!"

As Itachi recalled, she had begun the holding, but he knew it would be useless to point that out. "Very well. There is a book of medical ninjutsu on my shelves. Master it, and you can sleep on the floor."

"What?" the girl asked, looking confused.

"I have no time to care for a sick child," Itachi explained, annoyed at having to point out the obvious. "If you wish to make yourself sick, you must be able to treat your own illness."

And then she was screaming at him again. He would really have to do something about that.

o-o-o-o

As it turned out, Leader-sama spared him the trouble. Itachi allowed Sakura to accompany him out of his room for breakfast, and they met Leader-sama in the kitchen. He glared down at the young girl and told her, in explicit detail, what would become of her if he heard another racket like the one from this morning. _Finally, _the little girl had sense enough to be terrified into silence.

Itachi permitted himself a small smirk to go with the sugar in his cereal. It seemed that there were limits to even this little kunoichi's courage. Well, he decided, he could improve upon that. After he was through with her, Sakura would have the strength and capabilities to finish the battles she was inclined to start. He would see to that.


	4. Chapter 4

"Again," Itachi commanded, without looking away from his spar with Kisame.

Sakura glared. "I've already done that taijutsu set twenty times!"

"It is still not correct."

"How can you _tell_?" she asked petulantly. "You weren't even looking!"

Itachi did not bother to respond. He merely dodge a blow from Samehada and brought his foot up into Kisame's jaw.

The shark man winced and swung at him again. "Can you _not_ take your marital spats out on me?"

"Defend yourself properly and I won't be able to." The ex-Uchiha heir made an almost imperceptible gesture and Kisame whirled around to fight someone who wasn't there. "Now, then, Sakura-san. See if you can complete the taijutsu set before Kisame realizes that he is caught in a genjutsu."

"Why?" she challenged.

He sighed. "If you can do it, you may rest for ten minutes and watch the end of our fight."

All right, it was tempting. Kisame and Itachi were both remarkable shinobi, and watching a battle between them was thrilling. It was also terrifying, as she was mentally calculating how badly her teammates would be beaten if they faced these two. "Fifteen minutes."

"I do not bargain, and you are running out of time."

Well, at least Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei would have a substantial advantage with Kisame. Despite being partnered with one of the greatest masters, he was terrible at detecting genjutsu – at least, in comparison to his other skills. He would still break free any minute now. She would have to hurry if she wanted her break. With another sigh of annoyance, she began the set again, Itachi scrutinizing her every move.

"Hey!" Kisame bellowed just as she began the last movement. "I'll get you for this, Uchiha!"

Itachi dodged the blow with a bored expression and nicked Kisame's hand with his katana. "Five more times, Sakura. Keep your back straight and put more power behind your kicks."

Kakashi-sensei had _never_ worked her this hard. Itachi had her up at dawn every day that he was in the base to train. She spent the entire morning on taijutsu and worked on genjutsu and ninjutsu until Itachi judged her chakra too depleted to continue. She usually fell asleep the minute she entered their room and had to be woken up for dinner.

On days when Itachi was out on missions, there was always a pile of books and instructions for her to practice various techniques. He only needed to see her perform a jutsu once to know which five errors she most needed to correct. When he returned, she was quizzed on the contents of the books and rewarded with dango if she answered every question correctly. Itachi seemed to be under the impression that she was some sort of exotic pet.

"She's getting better," Kisame commented to Itachi. Of course, the sneaky bastard had won their bout, but Kisame was proud of some of the bruises he had given him. "You sure she'll have enough chakra left to heal us?"

Itachi studied her with his sharingan. "If she uses it carefully. She will need food before her genjutsu lesson."

Kisame grunted. "What I don't understand is why you're putting all this effort into training some kid. Don't tell me you're _really_ into little girls!"

He gave his companion a disdainful look. "She is mine. She will become useful."

"Yeah, yeah, you're grooming her to be your own personal med nin. But why train her to fight?"

"Because she can," was all the answer he got.

o-o-o-o

Itachi considered the pink-haired girl who was currently sprawled on his bed, making the oddest little murmuring noises in her sleep. At least she didn't snore. Her strength was building slowly, but he could see a difference. She was gaining both muscle and chakra. If she continued to develop at this rate, he could conceivably take her out on missions within a few years. By that point, she should have developed a sufficient emotional dependence on him to ensure she didn't run away.

He decided that he needed a cup of hot tea before bed. Accordingly, he strolled down to the kitchen. On the way back, he was surprised to encounter Sasori. The puppet master usually kept to himself. He acknowledged the other man with a simple nod and continued on his way.

"Itachi-san."

He turned, concealing his curiosity. "Yes?"

"I was watching you train your little bride today." Sasori tilted his head to one side. "Would you consider parting with her?"

"Why?"

Sasori shrugged. "I feel that my collection could benefit from some added variety. She would make an exquisite puppet, don't you think?"

Itachi unexpectedly felt a surge of irritation, similar to the one he had felt when he learned of Sasuke's upcoming wedding. "I do not."

Sasori lifted an eyebrow. "You have developed an attachment to her? How pointless. I thought we were through exploiting children when Orochimaru left."

"The nature of our relationship is my business," Itachi returned coldly. "Regardless, she is under my protection. I suggest you remember that."

The other missing nin actually smiled. "Pointless." He turned to leave. "I will see you tomorrow, Itachi-san. Remember, on the topic of exploiting children, we are going to collect my new partner."

Ah, yes. The mission. He would have to write out a lesson plan for Sakura before he went to sleep.

o-o-o-o

Sakura was on the fourth of the five books Itachi had assigned her when she became aware of doors slamming and someone muttering with occasional bursts of shouting. From what she gleaned in between the various curse words, she was not the only one here against their will and Itachi had something to do with it.

"What's going on?" she wanted to know when he walked in a few minutes later.

"We have recruited a new member," Itachi explained succinctly, untying his hitai-ate and folding it neatly.

"Recruited?" she wrinkled her nose. "It sounds more like you used the sharingan and dragged him back here unconscious." She was growing unsettlingly comfortable with this criminal. If someone had told her just a few weeks ago that she would dare to speak so casually to Uchiha Itachi, she would have laughed in their faces.

"Hn," Itachi agreed, unbuttoning his cloak. "Return to your studies. I intend to examine your progress before dinner."

o-o-o-o

At least Sakura was now allowed to come out into the main dining area for meals, as long as she stayed close to Itachi and kept quiet. The Akatsuki subsisted mainly on takeout, but their taste in restaurants wasn't too bad. Naruto had dragged them to worse.

Tonight, however, proved to be an exception. The mysterious leader of the missing nin called Itachi out of the room and, with a warning pat on her head, he left her to her own devices.

Sakura briefly considered exploring the Akatsuki base, then decided she liked her body in one piece. Kisame had made a few jokes about the other members' activities that were rather…disturbing. She was munching tempura with an air of resignation when a blond boy just a few years older than her came slouching in. He wasn't wearing a cloak and did not match any of Kisame's descriptions of the other members, so she dared to greet him. "Hi."

He studied her with his one visible eye. "The hell? There's no way you're one of these guys, yeah. You a hostage or something?"

"That's Itachi's girl," Kisame snickered, strolling in and helping himself to the food. "Move over, princess. You're hogging the tempura."

"Itachi… The genjutsu bastard?" His eye narrowed. "You're with _him_, yeah? How old are you?"

"Thirteen," she mumbled. "And it's not like that… I think."

"You _think_, yeah?"

"They're married," Kisame supplied helpfully around a mouthful of tempura. "You should've seen her in her wedding dress. Cutest little thing. Can't blame the guy, huh?"

The blond boy stared. "What kind of freak show _is_ this, yeah?"

"Oh, don't worry." The shark man leaned back contentedly in his chair. "You can have a boyfriend instead if you want, girly-boy."

And that was how the dining room table ceased to exist.


	5. Chapter 5

Itachi was _not_ pleased to find Sakura standing among the ruins of the table, talking animatedly to the new Akatsuki member. He glared at Kisame, who had simply allowed this to happen. The shark man shrugged and continued eating. "Deidara."

The boy looked up and scowled. "Itachi."

The Uchiha walked up and placed a possessive hand on Sakura's head. "I see you have met my Sakura."

"_Your_ Sakura?" the girl repeated angrily. "Do I look like some sort of toy?"

"Hell yeah," Hidan assured her, strolling in covered with blood. "Shit! I missed a fight?"

"More like a temper tantrum," Kisame corrected, holding out one of the undamaged takeout containers. "Girly-boy here is the _sensitive_ type."

Deidara flushed angrily. "Stop calling me that, yeah!"

"Why? You in love with me? Am I hurting your poow widdwe feewings?"

Itachi sighed, tossed a protesting Sakura over his shoulder, and walked away from the ensuing brawl. When they entered his room, he set Sakura down and grasped her chin firmly, forcing her to look at him. "Sakura-san, what have you noticed about the other Akatsuki members?"

"They're _insane_!" she sputtered.

"Precisely." When this unexpected admission broke through her temper, he repeated her words. "They are insane. Destructively so. And that is why, however distasteful you may find it, it is to your advantage to be marked as _mine_. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she mumbled.

Itachi released her chin and patted her head. "Good. Now prepare for bed."

o-o-o-o

Sakura chose that night to keep him awake with tossing and turning. When she began crying on top of it, he sighed and acknowledged her. "Sakura-san. What is it?"

"My parents," she sniffed. "I've been trying not to think about them, but… Tonight is their anniversary, and I usually put together a special dinner for them, and… They probably won't even go out and celebrate tonight because they don't know if I'm alive or not, and… and…"

"Your parents worry for you when you are gone?" Itachi queried.

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Of course! Didn't yours?"

"Hn." That was all the answer she expected, so she was surprised when he softly elaborated. "My mother did. Especially when I was on an S-ranked mission."

"S-ranked?" Sakura stared. "But… you were so young when you… When you…"

"I was in ANBU when I was younger than you are. It pleased my father, but my mother… worried."

"She loved you?" Sakura confirmed.

"Hn."

"Then… How could you kill her?" she demanded with the boldness only a child could muster.

Itachi was silent. Just when she figured he would never answer, he spoke softly. "It was necessary."

"_Necessary?_"

He cut off her tirade before she could begin. "A story for another day, Sakura-san. Come here." He held out his arms. "Cry for your parents if you must." So she did. And it occurred to Itachi as he held her that the endorphin rush resulting from her tears would accelerate the formation of her emotional bond with him._ Someday,_ he promised silently, _I will tell you the truth, Sakura-san. _If only to confirm, once and for all, that he had done the right thing in choosing Konoha over his family.

o-o-o-o

"That was quite a stunt you pulled at the wedding," Jiraiya greeted him the next night.

Itachi grunted agreement and took a bite of his dango. Jiraiya's taste in meeting places was often questionable, but this tea shop was rather nice. He had made sure that Kisame was fast asleep before slipping out of their inn and going to meet his ally.

The sannin sat down heavily and signaled the waitress to come over. When he was through leering, laughing, and placing his order, he turned to give Itachi another serious look. "Well, you should be happy to know that your little brother survived the recent attack on Konoha and is no longer one of the council's main interests. I'm setting up Tsunade to replace Sarutobi as Hokage. I assume you heard what happened?"

"Indeed," Itachi agreed. "Tsunade will have the sense not to put Sasuke in such a position again, yes?"

Jiraiya nodded, used to Itachi's priorities. "Yes, yes, your little brother is going to be fine. Now, on to business. What do you have for me?"

Itachi finally made eye contact, pulling the Toad Sage into the Tsukuyomi world, the only place secure enough to transfer information on Akatsuki's plans. "It is as you predicted," he informed his contact. "Pein is attempting to collect the tailed beasts in his quest for world domination. I have identified and approached Madara, but am still in the process of gaining his confidence."

"What tactic are you using?" Jiraiya asked, lounging against the device that would normally restrain Itachi's victim.

"Madara has an interest in reviving the Uchiha clan. I have convinced him that we have that in common."

"Huh," Jiraiya grunted. "And that's why you're keeping that little girl, is it?"

"She has potential. The Council was right to select her." She was a better compliment to Sasuke's strengths and weaknesses than his own, of course, but many of her traits were still valuable. "I am currently training her – in preparation for her role as the new Uchiha matriarch, Madara thinks."

"What are you really training her for?"

"Why are you interested?"

Jiraiya grinned. "It's not every day that Uchiha Itachi takes an interest in a _girl_," he bantered. "I was beginning to wonder if you had it in you!"

"You are as bad as Kisame," Itachi deadpanned. He considered for a moment. "As you know, my illness is progressing. I need a skilled medic – one I can trust completely. By the time Sakura is fully trained, she should be attached enough to serve the purpose." He neglected to mention that she was already comfortable enough to cry on his shoulder and cling to him in her sleep. Jiraiya's fertile imagination needed no such assistance.

The Toad Sage nodded understanding. "Then, all joking aside… You're not going to pull any of my moves on that child, right?" After all, protecting Konoha's citizens was one of his main considerations – including little girls who had the ill fortune to get tangled up in Itachi's plans.

"Hn," Itachi assented.

"Good," Jiraiya commented briskly. "Now, let's have some more detail about the plan for the tailed beasts."

o-o-o-o

One of Kisame's redeeming qualities was his tendency to update Sakura on the events of the shinobi world after they returned from missions, sparing Itachi the prolonged social interaction. Of course, he _did_ tell everything in the darkest way possible, enjoying Sakura's emotional reactions, but it allowed Itachi more free time to gain Madara's trust.

He had yet to determine how the ancient Uchiha was still alive, but he was confident that he could work it out soon. In the meantime, he was required to disappear frequently on secret missions for Madara, leaving Sakura in Kisame's rather dubious care. The ramifications of this decision did not completely occur to him until he returned one day to find her chattering away with the blond arsonist.

"It's so pretty!" she chirped, holding a clay butterfly in her hands. "How do you make such detailed sculptures so _fast_?"

The foolish missing-nin blushed at her appreciation. "Lots of practice, yeah. And that isn't even the best part of my art – here, watch." The butterfly fluttered off, to Sakura's excessive delight, alighted just behind Sasori, and exploded violently.

The puppet master turned around with his customary expression of boredom. "You call that art? It is mere chaos."

Deidara began a heated debate with his partner, to which Sakura listened with an expression of increasing distrust. Itachi took the opportunity to seize her by the arm and teleport them both back to his room. "Sakura-san," he began levelly, "do you not recall a certain conversation we had about the other Akatsuki being dangerously insane?"

She tugged her arm out of his grasp and glared up at him. "Deidara's a little strange, but he's nice! Better than you and Kisame, anyway!"

"He is likely to kill you."

"And you aren't?"

"I am training you to be of use to me," Itachi reminded her. "I protect my investments. Deidara has no such motivation."

"But he's the only other person near my age around here," she continued to protest. "He can't be _that_ dangerous!"

"I was younger when I destroyed my clan," he pointed out. That, fortunately, was enough to silence her for a moment so he could think. If she bonded to Deidara instead of him, she would be of no use. Not to mention Madara's reaction if their brood mare showed signs of preferring a non-Uchiha mate… "In any case, you will cease your association with him."

o-o-o-o

Uchiha Itachi might be a genius, but he really did not understand teenage girls. His express warning to Sakura that she was to _avoid_ Deidara seemed to be a signal for her to talk to him at every opportunity, often directly in front of Itachi. When he glared at her, she had the audacity to toss her head and _smile._

The other members noticed and found the situation endlessly entertaining. Itachi was giving some serious consideration to Hidan's suggestion of chaining her to his side and gagging her. Of course, he could always confine her to his room, but she was also beginning to draw Konan into conversation, and the older kunoichi had indicated that she found the girl's company pleasant. To take away Pein's lover's fun could be… disadvantageous, especially since _not_ distracting Itachi was a condition of the girl's continued presence.

He found exhausting her with training slightly helpful. Sakura had great potential as a medic, especially with her ludicrously soft heart. She was eager to repair any injured animals he and Kisame 'found' around the base – almost as eager as Hidan was to provide them. She was already able to repair internal organ damage in an acceptable amount of time and would soon be ready to begin working on simple diseases. She still had a long way to go before she was ready to tackle _his_ condition, of course, but her emotional attachments were currently more of a problem.

Itachi was considering all of this at dinner, as he watched his protégé not-so-subtly flirt with the blond boy, who was even-less-subtly flirting back. When Deidara reached across the table to slowly take one of Sakura's mango slices, he decided that he had had enough. "Deidara."

"Yeah?" The boy raised his eyes defiantly to look into Itachi's sharingan, and was promptly caught in a genjutsu.

Kisame immediately whistled and began making comments about his partner being 'the jealous type,' but Itachi retained his composure. "Close your mouth when you chew, Sakura-san."

o-o-o-o

Fortunately, Deidara was out on a mission for the next week, so by day five, Sakura was in a comparatively calm state and he was finally able to resume his study of her immunity to the sharingan. "Resist, please."

Sakura told herself that she still _hated_ to be cooperative, but the effects of Itachi's sharingan were extremely unpleasant. She looked up into the swirling red eyes and felt Inner Sakura do her _something._

Itachi analyzed her chakra for a minute, then grunted and began writing in a plain black notebook. He perused his notes for a moment, then sighed. "There is a variable missing." He caught the look of comprehension in her face and pointed the pen at her. "You know something," he accused.

"Maybe," Sakura allowed, doing her best imitation of his smirk.

Itachi analyzed her for a moment, then purposefully let his face soften into a smile and cupped her face gently. "Let us do this the easy way, Sakura-san. Tell me what you know, and I will reward you suitably."

Sakura's heart gave an unexpected thump as her perfectly healthy teenage mind registered that Uchiha Itachi had a ridiculously attractive smile. _And smirk. And stare. And just general existence,_ Inner Sakura rattled off. "W-what are you offering?" she stammered, blocking out the images her Inner was generating.

An under-used part of Itachi's mind made a note of her response to him. "One small favor," he specified. "Not letting you go, and not sparing anyone's life." He considered. "Perhaps a message to your parents? Something to let them know you are alive and relatively safe?"

Sakura stared. "You can do that?"

He smirked. "I have my ways. Do we have a deal?"

She couldn't get the words out fast enough. "I have a voice inside my head that vents out thoughts and emotions I don't want. I call her 'Inner Sakura,' and she does _something_ when she recognizes a genjutsu."

Itachi released her and noted down this information. "Have you observed any changes in this phenomenon during your stay here?"

She nodded emphatically. "I hear her less often now, and her voice is getting quieter."

He nodded slowly as he wrote that down. "That could explain why the magnitude of the chakra spike that accompanies your resistance is decreasing."

"But why would she be getting quieter?"

Itachi tapped the pen thoughtfully against his notebook. "Sakura-san, do you feel any need to impress anyone here?"

"Er… no," she answered hesitantly.

"That is probably why." When she continued to look at him, he elaborated. "Your 'Inner Sakura' expresses things that you do not allow yourself to feel because you fear it would detract from people… liking you, to put it simply. This is irrelevant when you are among people whose opinions you do not care for. Thus, you allow yourself to experience your full range of emotion and have less need for an inner voice. With time, she will probably fade completely."

"Oh." Sakura was quiet for a moment. "Then… does that mean I'll lose my genjutsu resistance?"

"Most likely."

She folded her arms. "So how do I stop that from happening?"

Itachi lifted an eyebrow. "Why should I help you retain your resistance to my doujutsu?"

Sakura racked her brain for something Itachi would want, something he wasn't getting already. "What do you want in return?" she finally asked.

He had his answer immediately. "Stay away from Deidara."

"But… but he's my friend!"

"He is barely acquainted with you, an S-ranked criminal, emotionally unstable, and singularly annoying." Itachi folded his hands. "If you wish to have my help in remaining genjutsu-resistant, you will have to make this sacrifice."

Resistance to one of the most powerful bloodline limits in the world versus a rather dangerous, still-tentative new friendship… "Isn't there anything else you want?"

Itachi moved with blinding speed, wrapping his arms around her from behind and putting his lips against her ear. "How about your body?" he purred seductively.

Sakura froze. "_W-what?_"

He smirked and released her. "Calm yourself, Sakura-san. I would never lower myself to such vulgarity. Deidara, on the other hand, has exactly that in mind. Fulfilling my request will only save you learning that the hard way in the future."

In the end, there was only one answer the shaken girl could give. "…Fine."

**A/N: Much as I love ItaSaku, my life is not complete without hints of DeiSaku. 3  
****Also, I have no idea whether Itachi's status as a double agent is canon or not, but it's certainly part of my headcanon. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

Unfortunately, Itachi's little demonstration made quite an impression on Sakura's subconscious. The minute she _finally_ fell asleep, the nightmares began.

_Sakura shrank back against the headboard, wide eyes fixed on Itachi's strangely intense face. "W-what are you doing?" she whispered as he planted his hands on either side of her waist, trapping her and leaning in._

_He smirked, eyes almost sharingan bright. "Why, Sakura? Are you frightened?" _

_She gulped as the male, threatening weight of his body bore down on her. "Y-y-yes."_

"_Poor little Sakura," Itachi purred, lifting one hand to stroke her face, slowly and deliberately._

_She tried to steady her voice. "What are you doing?" she asked again, louder this time._

_He chuckled softly and brushed his lips teasingly across her sensitive ones. "Surely you know, child. Don't tell me they never explained it to you."_

"_E-explained what?" Sakura stammered, trying to avoid the soft kisses he was trailing across her face and neck._

_Itachi's hand came to rest on her chest, directly over her heart. "The process by which you will help me renew the Uchiha clan, of course. Foolish girl…" He caught hold of her dress and, with the suddenness that can only occur in dreams, ripped it from her body._

_She was unable to stifle a cry of fear as she found herself completely exposed to Uchiha Itachi's burning gaze. "P-please," she stammered. "Please… Don't…"_

_His teeth dragged across her bare, shaking shoulder. "Yes, Sakura. Beg. Plead. Cry." He chuckled cruelly. "Don't you see? It only makes this more… fun."_

Sakura came awake with a strangled cry and tried to break free of Itachi's arms. Her heart was pounding and tears were dripping down her face.

"Sakura-san?" Itachi asked sleepily. He opened his eyes and viewed her with what looked very much like concern. "Are you all right, child?"

"Stay away from me!" she cried shrilly, struggling. He released her and she scrambled as far away as she could get without falling from the bed. "Don't touch me!" she sobbed. "Keep your hands _off_ me, you _monster_! Just leave me alone!"

Itachi studied her in silence, then gently lifted the blankets to cover her shaking body. She jumped and lifted one arm to ward him off. _Pathetic._ "Good night, Sakura-san," he said softly. Then he retreated to his side of the bed, wondering what had frightened her so.

o-o-o-o

Konan noticed Sakura's traumatized expression the next morning at breakfast. "Itachi-san," she said when there was a lull in the conversation, "would you entrust Sakura-chan to me for a little while?"

Itachi glanced between them, then nodded assent. "Take good care of her, Konan-san."

The older kunoichi held out a hand and Sakura scampered over to her with another fearful glance at Itachi. Konan smiled slightly and led her to the room she shared with Nagato. "Now, then," she began when Sakura had settled onto a cushion, "tell me what has happened between you and Itachi."

The pink-haired girl shifted uncomfortably. "Well… It's not really that anything happened… it's… it's just…"

Konan handed her a cup of tea. "Take your time, Sakura-chan, and tell me everything."

Encouraged by the blue-haired woman's look of concern, Sakura confided her conversation with Itachi and the disturbing dreams it had provoked. When she finished, she finally looked back up at Konan, who was sitting on her heels with eyes half-closed in thought. "Is… is he going to h-hurt me? What do I do?"

"Calm down," Konan suggested, opening her eyes. "Being taken by force is a fear all women share, but Itachi does not do such things."

"But – but he killed his entire family in cold blood!" Sakura pointed out, green eyes wide. "Why would he balk at doing _anything_ to a girl he thinks he _owns_?"

"Would he be teaching you to fight if he intended to abuse you?" Konan pointed out. When Sakura paused to consider that, she smiled slightly. "Sakura-chan… Our world is far more complicated than you have been led to believe. If you can look past your fear and anger for a moment, you may find that Itachi is not the creature of nightmare you have been raised to dread."

o-o-o-o

When Konan returned her to Itachi later that day, she was quiet and withdrawn, thinking things over. It was true that Itachi had not exactly conducted himself like a bloodthirsty monster during her time here. If anything, he had been almost… kind. He had taken good care of her, as he'd promised, and given her the personal training Kakashi-sensei never bothered to offer.

_But he killed Sasuke-kun's family,_ she reminded herself, watching him spar fluidly with Sasori, dodging poisoned weapons and precisely disabling puppets. _He's evil!_

Sakura was silent all through dinner, offending Deidara and puzzling Kisame. Konan gave her an encouraging smile as she and Leader-sama departed for the evening. The young kunoichi tried to summon up all her courage as she followed Itachi back to his room. The S-rank missing nin politely held the door open for her. She walked inside and stood next to the bed, biting her lip.

"Was your day with Konan-san productive?"

"Oh! Um… yes. Yes, it was, uh, productive."

Itachi tilted his head slightly. "Something continues to bother you, Sakura-san."

She wrapped her arms around herself and struggled to find the right phrasing. "Itachi-san… Um… Why did you decide to keep me?"

His only response was to lift an eyebrow.

Sakura elaborated nervously. "The thing is… you pointed out last night what Deidara-san might want from me… And you said you were going to make me useful… And I know you said you wouldn't force yourself on a woman, but… Well… I was supposed to help Sasuke-kun revive the Uchiha clan, and I just… I'm afraid that… you have the same idea in mind. Only, you know… with you." Inner Sakura facepalmed at the clumsy words she was offering to the master of mind games, but outer Sakura was too emotional to care.

Itachi considered for a moment, then decided that a bit of honesty would save him some trouble later. "The thought has occurred to me." He heard her sharp intake of breath and saw her eyes widen in fear. He had hated being looked at with that expression since he was a child and had only come to loath it more as his reputation grew. "But I have no intention of harming you," he said quietly.

"So… what?" Sakura gasped. "You'll manhandle me, but you'll at least be gentle about it? Maybe hypnotize me into submission instead of just holding me down?"

Wonderful. Now the girl was crying. He slipped the sleeve of his Akatsuki robe over his hand, took hold of her chin, and proceeded to wipe the tears away. When her face was dry, he let his hand drop, continuing to hold her gaze with his. "Sakura-san. Pay attention, as I will only say this once."

She nodded, continuing to stare at him with her overly large green eyes.

Itachi spoke in his slowest, most deliberate tone of voice. "If my child ever grows inside of you, it will be because you chose to lie with me of your own free will. Is that clear enough for you?"

"Y-yes," she stammered.

Itachi smiled slightly. "Good." He rested one hand lightly on her ridiculous pink hair. "Now, get some sleep. I have another mission to carry out."

Sakura tucked herself into bed and watched him tie on his hitai-ate. "Itachi-san?"

"Yes?"

"…Thank you."

o-o-o-o

"You know, you didn't have to hit him quite that hard to be convincing," Jiraiya commented when he slipped off to meet Itachi after the missing-nin had… introduced himself… to Naruto. "I thought you loved your little brother!"

Itachi grunted. The memory of his exchange with Sasuke still irked him.

_After verifying that his younger brother was still badly in need of his protection, he lifted him by the throat and held him against the wall. "I'm surprised at you, Sasuke. Aren't you going to ask me what I've done with your pretty little bride? Your noisy friend was certainly… curious."_

"_Hn," the younger boy grunted. His eyes narrowed. "Like I care."_

"_What?" Itachi asked softly. He had not been expecting that response._

_Sasuke's face remained blank. "She was annoying."_

"Itachi? Hello? You still awake?"

The ex-Uchiha heir shook his head and turned back to Jiraiya. "I did not save my little brother so that he could become so… cold."

The Sannin shrugged. "Look, he's a teenage boy. They don't admit their emotions very easily. I'm sure he's worried sick about the girl, he's just not ready to admit it. Especially not to… well, to you."

"Hn." Itachi traced the rim of his teacup. "I wanted better than this for him."

Jiraiya's eyebrows rose behind the rim of his glass. "What are you talking about?"

The dark eyes suddenly looked far older than Itachi's real age. "I wanted Sasuke to have what I never could."

"And what is that?"

He took a thoughtful sip of his tea. "I do not even know the word."

o-o-o-o

When Itachi returned to the base, Sakura watched him carefully for evidence for or against her image of him as a cold-blooded killer. Mostly, what she found was evidence of a truly human man who read poetry in his spare time, treated her with respect, and sought to win battles with as little damage to his opponents as possible. Of course, she had only ever watched him spar with other Akatsuki, but from what Kisame said, the habit extended to serious battles.

Sakura didn't exactly become friendly, but she was now more curious than antagonistic. Konan was right; there was more to the Akatsuki, particularly Itachi, than just a band of savage rogue ninja. Even Kisame had traces of normalcy in him, chatting with her about Itachi's missions and regaling her with inappropriate jokes.

As usually happens in the real world, the greatest change happened when she was least expecting it. Itachi had brought her back to his room after dinner and handed her the next installment of the tactical theory lesson plan he had worked out for her. Rather than sitting down with a book of his own or beginning to clean his equipment, however, Itachi simply stood and stared out the window with an expression she couldn't read.

Sakura pretended to be interested in her assignment, but she was constantly glancing over the edge to look at Itachi. After a few moments, he carefully unclasped the necklace he always wore, clutched it in his hand, and pressed it to his heart, still staring out into the night.

"Itachi-san?" she finally dared to ask. He glanced toward her. "Is… is there a story behind that necklace?"

"Hn." He opened his hand and looked at it. "It was my mother's."

His _mother's_? Sakura was about to inquire further when her eyes fell to the calendar on the wall and she realized what day it was. _The anniversary of the Uchiha massacre!_ She returned her gaze to Itachi, who was once again wrapped in his own thoughts, holding his mother's necklace against his heart. Was he… mourning?

On an impulse, she slid off the bed and insinuated her small hand into the one dangling by Itachi's side. She had the privilege of seeing Uchiha Itachi look startled before his eyes softened ever so slightly and he resumed looking out the window. "Itachi… did you love your mother?" she asked in a small voice.

"Dearly," he whispered.

Sakura shifted uncertainly. "You… you said that killing her was _necessary._"

"Hn."

She felt tears sting her eyes. "What could have been so important that it made it necessary to kill your _mother_?"

Sakura wasn't sure what response she expected – probably none – but she was definitely not expecting Itachi's openly grieving look and the words, "Civil war."

o-o-o-o

Sakura wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but she woke up tucked carefully into the bed. Itachi was still staring out the window. Over the course of the night, he had told her the true story of the Uchiha massacre in his minimalist, detached fashion. It hadn't even crossed her mind to doubt him; his effort to repress the tortured look in his eyes was confirmation enough.

"Sakura."

She jumped when she realized Itachi was looking at her. "Yes?"

He seemed to struggle for a moment with what he wanted to say. "What I did… five years ago… was it… right?"

"What?" Her green eyes widened in disbelief that _the_ Uchiha Itachi could be unsure… could regret… "Why are you asking me?"

Itachi sighed and returned his gaze to the window. "Our world was a different place when I was a child, Sakura. Torn by war. I was raised to do what was necessary – without flinching, without question. The matter of right and wrong… it is a luxury you possess that I never did."

Sakura slipped out of the bed and slowly trailed over to his side. She slipped her hand into his, as she had done the night before, and looked out the window with him. "I don't know," she finally whispered. "I could never have done it, but… that doesn't necessarily make it wrong."

"Hn." Itachi glanced down at her and his lips curved just the slightest bit. "Thank you, Sakura."

She smiled up at him and leaned her head against his arm, offering the only comfort she could. And that was when she finally accepted that Uchiha Itachi was truly not who she had believed him to be.


End file.
